Climate change has implications on public health

To read this posting in Hindi language, please click here
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The World Health Day this year (7 April 2008) focuses on the need to protect health from the adverse effects of climate change. The theme "protecting health from climate change" puts health at the centre of the global dialogue about climate change. The World Health Organization (WHO) selected this theme for the World Health Day in recognition that climate change is posing ever growing threats to global public health security.

The appalling conditions of health responses during civil unrest, violence and natural calamities like floods in India are well-documented. Also the disease outbreaks, especially water-borne diseases, have been posing an enormous challenge in such situations.

People requiring long-term ongoing care and treatment, are left with hardly any choice to adhere to their drug-regimens during civil unrest or natural calamities. For example people with tuberculosis (TB) who are required to adhere to the anti-TB drugs, often struggle to reach to the TB clinics and the risk to develop anti-TB drug-resistance is enormous. Similarly people living with HIV are struggling to reach to the clinics for the ongoing treatment, care and support services, particularly those who need anti-retroviral drugs and are not able to access them.

Moreover natural calamities escalate the risk of disease transmission and exacerbate the vulnerabilities of people to infectious diseases. With health systems disrupted and healthcare providers often at risk of facing violence themselves, it is a serious concern how to effectively improve health responses during civil unrest, violence and natural calamities.

According to the WHO, "through increased collaboration, the global community will be better prepared to cope with climate-related health challenges worldwide." Examples of such collaborative actions are: strengthening surveillance and control of infectious diseases like tuberculosis (TB), ensuring safer use of diminishing water supplies, and coordinating health action in emergencies.

Overwhelming evidence shows that human activities are affecting the global climate, with serious implications for public health. Catastrophic weather events, variable climates that affect food and water supplies, new patterns of infectious disease outbreaks, and emerging diseases linked to ecosystem changes, are all associated with global warming and pose health risks.

Climate and weather already exert strong influences on health: through deaths in heat waves, and in natural disasters such as floods, as well as influencing patterns of life-threatening vector-borne diseases such as malaria.

Continuing climate change will affect, in profoundly adverse ways, some of the most fundamental determinants of health: food, air and water, according to WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan. Malnutrition, lack of access to basic sanitation including access to safe drinking water, and pollution are known factors to aggravate the risk to respiratory diseases including TB.

Areas with weak health infrastructure - mostly in developing countries - will be the least able to cope without assistance to prepare and respond. These impacts will be disproportionately greater in vulnerable populations, which include the very young, elderly, medically infirm, poor and isolated populations.

Increasing global temperatures affect levels and seasonal patterns of both man-made and natural air-borne particles, such as plant pollen, which can trigger asthma. About 300 million people suffer from asthma, and 255 000 people died of the disease in 2005. Asthma deaths are expected to increase by almost 20% in the next 10 years if urgent actions to curb climate change and prepare for its consequences are not taken.

The health impacts of climate change will be difficult to reverse in a few years or decades. Yet, many of these possible impacts can be avoided or controlled. There are established steps in health and related sectors to reduce the exposure to and the effect of changing climate. For example, controlling disease vectors, reducing pollution from transport and efficient land use and water management are well-known and tested measures that can help.

However government of India's response in efficient land use and water management to mitigate the adverse impact of the global climate has been appalling.

The privatization of water, use of agriculture lands as special economic zone for rapid industrialization, heavy displacement of poor people with `development projects' which put them at grave risk of infectious diseases, are certainly not going to help India in minimizing the harm of the climate change.

To read this posting in Hindi language, please click here

Call to join dharna against displacement

To read this posting in Hindi language, click here
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Join hands to raise our collective voice against displacement & undemocratic, unjust, anti-people & pro-corporate The Land Acquisition (Amendment) Act, 2007 and The Resettlement and Rehabilitation Bill, 2007

Join Dharna at Jantar Mantar, Delhi
28 - 30 April 2008

Today, as the State continues with the mad frenzy in the name of 'development' and 'economic growth', rural and urban poor face displacement and dispossession at an unprecedented scale.

Not a day passes by when newspapers or channels in India does not have a story on yet another land acquisition, another resistance against corporate land grab or police atrocities on peaceful demonstrators. The government seems to have abdicated all responsibilities, even the pretence, of a 'Welfare State'.

It is now nothing more than a puppet of industrialists and capitalists, snatching all natural resources away from the people. On the other hand, for the multitudes-Dalits, Adivasis, agricultural workers, farmers, fish workers, artisans, forest dwellers- who have been facing the harsh reality of displacement and complete dispossession for years, there doesn't seem to be even the hope of rehabilitation now.

But be it in Nandigram or Jagatsinghpur, be it against uprooting people in the name of SEZs, mining or big dams or against the 'illegalisation' of urban poor, our country reverberates with voices of protest and struggle like never before. People are resisting the snatching away of the means of their lives and livelihood. They are resisting the theft and transfer of natural and common property resources into private hands for private profit. They are resisting the gross undermining of democracy and social justice that goes on in the name of development. It is in the midst of all this that the Central Government has brought forth two Bills-The Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill, 2007 and the Resettlement and Rehabilitation Bill, 2007. Introduced purportedly to strike a balance between the need for land for development and other purposes and protecting the interests of the persons whose lands are statutorily acquired, both the Bills will have far reaching impact if enacted. In effect, these Bills sanction displacement and loot of more and more land from the people for the profit of corporations and private investors.

The Land Acquisition Bill allows land to be forcefully acquired in favour of private companies and investors, thus including private purpose in the definition of 'public purpose'. It is more regressive and anti-people than even the original Colonial Act! While the government talks of protecting the rights of those whose lands are acquired, it is mere lip service. The R&R Bill doesn't even guarantee basics like land for land and alternative livelihood-based rehabilitation. The issue of urban displacement has been completely side-stepped yet again Today the demand of people's struggle across the country is one - a decentralised development planning process which ensures 'development' that is truly people centric and bases itself firmly on the principles of democracy, social justice and equity. Since concerns regarding development planning, land acquisition and resettlement and rehabilitation are intrinsically linked with one another and cannot be addressed in isolation, people's movements and organisations have, for several years now, been demanding the enactment of a Comprehensive Legislation on Development Planning,

No enforced displacement, and Just rehabilitation. In fact a draft of the same has also been prepared based on 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments which, in the true spirit of democracy, vest gram sabhas, municipalities with the right to formulate district and metropolitan level development plans. Ignoring these demands, the Government is keen on pushing these two Bills that, instead of ensuring minimum and no enforced displacement, endorse displacement.

There is no doubt that these anti-people legislations have been brought forth under the influence and for the benefit of big corporations and private industrial and capitalists interests. It is imperative that we, the people's movements and organisations, challenge and oppose this move. It is important that we, the rural and urban poor, those struggling for just rehabilitation and those who oppose forced displacement and destruction carried on in the name of 'development', join hands and raise our collective voices. We must question our elected representatives and bring them to understand and voice our positions on these issues. We must challenge the Central government and compel them to heed.

We call on you to join us for a massive dharna at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi from 28-30 April 2008.

We request friends and comrades from across the country struggling on diverse issues to reach Delhi on these dates to discuss and voice their questions, issues and concerns at the national level. It is critical at this juncture that we come together and raise our collective voices against displacement and for a just development planning.

Please do let us know of you participation and details regarding arrival and departure in order to help us plan better.

We sincerely hope you will join us in this very important struggle!

In Solidarity,

Ashok Chaudhary, Roma (National Forum of Forest People and Forest Workers)
Gautam Bandhopadhyay (Nadi Ghati Morcha) Shaktiman Ghosh (National Hawkers Federation)
Ulka Mahajan (SEZ Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti)
Medha Patkar (Narmada Bachao Andolan & National Alliance of People's Movements)
Gabriele D (Pennurumai Iyyakam & National Alliance of People's Movements)
Mukta Srivastava , Simpreet Singh (Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan)
Rajendra Ravi (National Alliance of People's Movements)
Sr. Celia (National Alliance of People's Movements)
Sandhya Devi (Kalahandi Mahila Samiti, Orissa)
Bhupendra Rawat (Jan Sangharsh Vahini)
Suniti S R (Vishthapan Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti)
Geetha D (Nirman Mazdoor Panchayat Sangam)
Subhash Bhatnagar (NCCUSW)
Sandeep Pandey (Asha Parivar and National Alliance of People's Movements)

POSCO Project is not an unquestionable boon for Orissa
Sandip Dasverma and Dr Sanat Mohanty

[This is the second article in three-article series on POSCO Steel project in Orissa by Sandip and Sanat. To read the first article (Orissa: An economic scam coming?), click here (to read this first article in hindi, click here)]
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The government of Orissa in India will be getting less than 5% of the price of iron ore from the much-hyped POSCO steel project than it would get from the global market. Why such criminal neglect of state's self-interest by state's captains?

As with any economic enterprise, economic plans of Government of Orissa in India must account for secondary gains and lost opportunities while negotiating the much-hyped POSCO steel project. Negligence to do such an analysis suggests incompetence and when such negligence is with public funds, it is criminal.

Analysis of a direct economic impact highlights the immense loss to Orissa with this deal. But are there other benefits that Orissa gains – jobs for people? Infrastructure? Are there other indirect opportunity costs with this deal?

The Indirect Economic Impact

POSCO promises to invest $12 billion (Rs 48,000 crores) in setting up the steel plants and running them. Even assuming it employees 10,000 people (a large number given modern automation) at Rs. 10,000 per month (a high number since most of the employees will be at lower pay scales), this accounts for Rs 3,600 crores for the 30 years of life of this project. Other economic efforts to sustain schools, services, small businesses etc are other benefits. Some of the investment will also help build infrastructure for mining which may affect local communities – roads, schools, electricity – and that will be 5% if one is magnanimous about ones numbers. The rest of the investment is mostly on equipment and services to support production – investment that does not necessarily trickle into the local economy.

Even accounting for such indirect benefits, the state of Orissa gets less than 5% of the price of iron ore that it would get in the global market. Why such criminal neglect of state's self-interest by state's captains?

On the other hand, activists from Orissa and other parts of the country have said that thousands of people will be displaced from more than 5000 acres of land that is being sequestered for this project. Given that people from past projects have not been rehabilitated, where will the new displaced go?

In addition, the economic activity of these thousands is significant - they were sustaining themselves through access to the land that they have lived in for over generations. Now, if pushed out without rehabilitation, not only is this lost economic activity but also an increased cost on cities where they will migrate. The Orissa government has not included this in its economic calculations.

Given the scale of profits from this venture and the criminal underselling of resources to POSCO, we think the state continues with this policy to keep attention away from the loot that is being played out.

In 2007 alone, private companies exported 47.6 million tonnes of iron ores but paid the Orissa government only Rs27/tonne for ores and Rs 11/tonne for fines – we have already lost greater than Rs 10,000 crore (the annual state budget of Orissa is Rs. 4,500 crore).

Thus, it seems likely that the Orissa government and POSCO will 'give in' to human needs and pay the oustees large amounts as rehabilitation. Even paying the oustees tens of lakhs of rupees hardly causes a dent in the profit margins. This comment is not to belittle the plight of the displaced – it is to point out that perhaps they are being used as pawns in an even bigger scam.

It is also important to ask, given such humongous profits, why are those whose lands are being snatched away without giving them market prices? How will the people whose land is being snatched away benefit from this deal?

That process of indirect accounting must also include the impact on supply of water. In a review of water withdrawal, Himanshu Thakar cites POSCO website that mentions it will withdraw over 250 million liters of water per day. How does this affect the water table of that region? Arguably, this water will be used for cleaning ores and processing for steel – how will the water be cleaned and what will be the state of its discharge? How will it be discharged and what is the impact of that on local communities? Both of these are important questions that make economic impact on the enterprise of the state – and at the very least should have been accounted for in Orissa's economic plans.

Orissa government has also promised to help POSCO acquire coal either from a Public Sector Unit or elsewhere at a very nominal royalty.

Central and Orissa state Governments of India have granted Special Economic Zone (SEZ) status for the steel plant and the POSCO owned port, which is unprecedented.

SEZs are exempt of the sales and import taxes. It is estimated that Indian government will lose Rs 89,000 crores and state government of Orissa will lose Rs 22,500 crores for SEZ alone. POSCO would have paid import tax on approx $6 billion of machinery with a loss to Indian central and state governments of 10 to 15%. This is another Rs 2,400 crores to Rs 3,600 crores subsidy, without any justification, as the competitors of POSCO, TATA and Mittals are paying that amount. There is no explanation of this action anywhere in the documents. This also does not account for duty to be paid on 12 million tonnes of steel every year for the 1st few years.

An analysis of both the direct and indirect economic impact of this project leads us to conclude:

* Orissa state government is clearly under-representing the interests of the people of the state. Even at global market conditions, it would have been able to get orders of magnitude greater benefits for the people than it is today as part of this deal

* Orissa state government has actually set up the deal where it is questionable whether the people of Orissa actually gain from this project or whether the opportunity cost of implementing this project outweighs the benefits. The project is certainly not an unquestionable boon as it is being made out to be.

Sandip Dasverma and Dr Sanat Mohanty

To read this article in Hindi language, click here

(To read this article in Hindi language, click here) 

[This article is the last part of a three-article series by Sanat and Sandip providing an in-depth analysis of issues around POSCO Steel project in India. The first part-article, Orissa: An Economic Scam Coming?, can be read online at: English, Hindi, and the second part-article, POSCO Project is not an unquestionable boon for Orissa, can be read online at: English, Hindi ]

 
With an analysis of direct and indirect economic analysis suggesting that the POSCO project has not been negotiated with the primary interest of the state of Orissa in India and its people, we are forced to ask who will gain, and how people will be impacted.

 Perhaps, the only silver lining is that vigilant citizen's groups and participative democracy can force to act accountably – for example one that pushed it to participate in a consortium of states leading to increased (yet measly) royalties for the state of Orissa. In the memorandum of understanding (MoU), the Orissa state government makes explicit claims on facilitating the rapid progress of the project but has nothing to say about the impact of the activities on the local communities.

Holding Orissa state government accountable

Citizens of Orissa need to demand more transparency from the Orissa state government in the project plan details. Has the opportunity cost been analyzed? What is the economic cost of water usage by POSCO? What is the cost of displacement? Clearly, agriculturalists in the neighborhood will suffer. What is the economic value of the loss in agricultural produce and in disruption in livelihoods of lakhs of farming families? Clearly the industry will not provide jobs to all these lakhs. We can estimate these numbers – there will be agricultural losses in the range of Rupees 100 crores per year, almost equal to gain in salary/wages from the plant each year. That is a significant amount. And it raises questions that the government needs to answer – and the Oriya society must ensure that the government answers these questions:

 * What are the government's estimates on agricultural losses for surely the Orissa state government must have accounted for this (unless it is truly incompetent)? 

 * What are the Orissa state government estimates on the hydrological impact of such high rates of withdrawal and processing?

 * What does the Orissa state government plan to do about this? It might plan to use the profits from POSCO to subsidize these agricultural losses or compensate these communities with better healthcare facilities and schools. Or it might use profits from POSCO to help start small industries in these communities. But we need to see that plan – what does Orissa state government plan to do?

 In effect, the state of Orissa may have indirect benefits of up to Rupees 120 crores per year in salaries (for new jobs created) and strengthen that local economy. On the other hand, it loses Rupees 180 crores in the price of land leased to POSCO, Rupees 75 crores/ year in cost of water, Rupees 100 crores per year to the agricultural economy, and Rupees 2400-3600 crores in taxes over the life time of the project.

 In addition, Orissa also loses out on market based royalty on coal, and on taxes related to 12 MT/year of steel.

 These are all estimates based on carefully piecing together the little data that has filtered out about the financial details of the MoU (Orissa government has hardly been transparent about this) – but the trend is clear. As per the current MoU, the people of Orissa bear a massive loss in the sale of important mineral resources (through inappropriate levels of royalty) while at the same time burdened with indirect costs that significantly outweigh indirect benefits. So would the Orissa government please explain why this deal is good for Orissa?

 The dimensions become clear, when one takes into account that India's total known reserves are 18 billion tonnes, of which 4.5 billion Tonnes are in Orissa and the state government plans to give 1 billion Tonnes to POSCO of which 400 MT will be exported to Korea.

 The Orissa government is only willing to showcase Rupees 48000 crores. It will not talk about the amount that is being scammed nor is it willing to talk about the opportunity costs or the indirect costs.

 Questions are being framed as being anti-Orissa and it has set up the state machinery of bureaucrats and politicians to intimidate those who dare to question.

 The underlying thread that emerges is that the Orissa state government has set this up as a win-win-lose deal. POSCO wins. Orissa state Government politicians and bureaucrats win. And the people of Orissa lose.

 Nothing else explains the lack of transparency and accountability, the underselling of minerals and the structure of the deal. However, it is not done yet, and as we have seen, a strong, watchful community can get the government to act in a manner that is more accountable and make economic sense. 

 We sincerely believe that the issue of rehabilitation and resettlement is diversionary and the real issue is to keep eyes of public away from the Rupees 250,000 crores give away to POSCO in form of subsidy in Iron Ore prices. 

 This may be the reason why competitors such as Tatas, Mittals and Jindals are also silent, as their deals also include such give aways, albeit of smaller.

 This economic issue must be the central issue, in our opinion and the government must be held accountable for the details of the project, its decision making and the impact of these decisions on all sections of people of Orissa – not just the representatives and the bureaucrats.

 How will the people of Orissa ensure this? In fact, it is important (given the credibility of Orissa state government and its inability to resist the temptation of corruption) that transparent processes be set up so that the people of Orissa can be sure that all the money coming into the state can be accounted for. And it is the people of Orissa who must push for such processes.

 Dr Sanat Mohanty and Sandip Dasverma 

 [This article is the last part of a three-article series by Sanat and Sandip providing an in-depth analysis of issues around POSCO Steel project in India. The first part-article, Orissa: An Economic Scam Coming?, can be read online at: English, Hindi, and the second part-article, POSCO Project is not an unquestionable boon for Orissa, can be read online at: English, Hindi ]

Is Coca-Cola Full of Hot Air?

Shareholders, Activists Challenge Coke's ''Green'' Image

To read this in Hindi language , please click here 

While Coca-Cola executives plan to use today's [16 April 2008] shareholders' meeting as a forum to trumpet the corporation's water stewardship credentials, many in attendance are asking whether Coke is full of hot air.

Is Dasani [Dasani is the bottled water brand of Coca Cola or Coke in US] full of hot air? In the lead-up to its annual meeting, Coke blocked a shareholders' resolution that would have required the corporation to publicly report water quality testing data for its bottled water and other beverage brands. Last year, the same resolution received more than twice the votes needed for it to be considered again in 2008.

"Coke is working very hard to avoid addressing reasonable questions about product quality testing and disclosure, all the while talking about its rigorous safety and quality requirements," said Gigi Kellett , national director of Corporate Accountability International's Think Outside the Bottle campaign. "People are wondering what exactly this corporation has to hide."

Coke has also refused to inform consumers of the source of its Dasani bottled water, even as market leader Aquafina (Pepsi) has agreed to do so. To add salt to the wound, Coke has also continued to drain water in drought prone areas from the southeast United States to India , in spite of community concerns.

Instead of responding to demands that the corporation report on water quality, label their water sources, and stop pumping in water-scarce regions, Coke has trumpeted the following initiatives:

The TERI Report. Though Coke has spun the report green, the 500-page study by The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI) raised serious questions about decreased groundwater levels near bottling facilities. In fact, three of the six plants surveyed had been sited in areas where water resources were already overburdened. "The basic focus of the Coca-Cola Company water resource management practices is on the business community – community water issues do not appear to form an integral part of the water resource management practices of the Coca-Cola company," according to report authors. These findings support what community groups in India have been saying for years. The report was an attempt to hide certain facts and 'whitewash' the corporation's operations," said R. Ajayan of the Plachimada Solidarity Committee. "But the Coca-Cola corporation's attempts to regain its lost credibility has once again failed."

The CEO Water Mandate. This voluntary, United Nations-endorsed initiative is being promoted as a way for corporations to make progress in protecting water resources. However, according to more than 125 public interest leaders from 35 countries, it lacks enforcement mechanisms, is fraught with conflicts of interest, and risks implicating the U.N. in corporate greenwashing. That's why it is being challenged as a "thinly veiled public relations effort."

Coke's Environmental Partnerships. Coke has entered into a partnership with the World Wildlife Fund to the tune of $20 million to fund watershed protection programs in seven global watersheds. While promising on the surface, the initiative has some communities affected by Coke's bottling asking, "how can the corporation justify contributing to water scarcity in some watersheds, to pay for the protection of others?"

At today's annual shareholders' meeting, Corporate Accountability International and its allies are giving statements to the Coca-Cola board of directors and shareholders which can be viewed at www.StopCorporateAbuse.org. The organization is also raising visibility outside the event by handing out balloons that read, "Is Dasani full of hot air?" and offering shareholders the opportunity to take the Tap Water Challenge, a blind water sampling that squares Wilmington tap off against Dasani bottled water.

For more information on Think Outside the Bottle, community struggles, and for facts about bottled water, visit http://www.stopcorporateabuse.org/cms/page1624.cfm

# # #

Corporate Accountability International, formerly Infact, is a membership organization that protects people by waging and winning campaigns challenging irresponsible and dangerous corporate actions around the world. For over 25 years, we've forced corporations -- like Nestlé, General Electric and Philip Morris/Altria -- to stop abusive actions.

For more information visit: http://www.stopcorporateabuse.org

Patti Lynn
Campaigns Director
Corporate Accountability International
www.stopcorporateabuse.org
ph: 617-695-2525
fax: 617-695-2626
Email: plynn@...

To read this in Hindi language , please click here 

POSCO project is a big cheating with already deprived people of Orissa

Dr Nutan Thakur, IRDS

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Note: Dr Thakur is referring to the four in-depth special analytical articles written by Dr Sanat Mohanty and Sandip Dasverma on POSCO steel project in Orissa. To read them in English or Hindi, click on the titles below:

Orissa: An Economic Scam Coming?
क्या उड़ीसा में आर्थिक �ोटाला पनप रहा ह�?

POSCO Project is not an unquestionable boon for Orissa
पोस्को प्रोजेक्ट उड़ीसा के लिए अभिशाप तो नही?

Who will gain from the POSCO Project in Orissa?
पोस्को (POSCO) स्टील प्रोजेक्ट से उड़ीसा में कौन लाभान्वित होगा?

POSCO not driven by philanthropy but shrewd planning to compensate displaced farmers

पोस्को दरियादिली से नही, धूर्त योजना-तहत विस्थापित...

The detailed study done by Dr Sanat Mohanty and Sandip Dasverma has made it amply clear in no uncertain words that POSCO project is nothing but a big cheating with the already poor and deprived people of Orissa and can easily be termed a grave crime.

Yet it is sad that despite knowing everything, the concerned authorities are showing complete apathy to their rightful voices.

It gives a feeling of there being some kind of underhand and nefarious deal involved in the entire process.

But I am sure that the whole-hearted concern and efforts of the public spirited persons will definitely put a stop to this arbitrariness.

Dr Nutan Thakur

IRDS

Lucknow, India

Email: drnutanthakur@...

CPI (M) GOONS GANG-RAPE RADHARANI AGAIN IN NANDIGRAM

MANY WOMEN AND MEN INJURED, HOUSES ATTACKED AND LOOTED

The shocking news from Nandigram where the battle is still on, is of the gang rape of Radharani Ari from the village of Gokulnagar and the attack on three other women, all of whom are hospitalized at the Nandigram Public Hospital.

The men who were attacked are said to be missing.

In a fresh attack around midnight and beyond 18 April 2008, known CPI (M) members and Hamad Vahini Party's armed force from Khejuri, who are like goons attacked the house of Radha Rani and Pratap Ari, threw Pratap Ari in the tank nearby and gang-raped Radha Rani Ari for the second time, in her own house.

Radharani Ari is one of the women at the forefront of the struggle. Coming from a dalit landless family, supported by Pratap Ari, her husband, Radharani was always protesting against the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) chemical hub project and giving away the land, houses, nature, and culture of Nandigram. Her heart and soul are in it and she is one of the most articulate and courageous women and had even toured the places of struggle in Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Maharashtra, with us in Nandigram-Narmada- Gorai Jatha.

Narmada Sheet, another woman, has also been a very committed and outspoken agitator from Sonachura. Other women attacked, include Mona Pramanik and few men were also missing when the news reached us early yesterday morning. Till this time, Radha Rani, Pratap, Ari and Narmada Sheet and some others are in the Nandigram Hospital and a few in Tamluk.

At least 20 houses have been attacked since yesterday and 100 members of the families, along with houses, much destroyed and belongings looted, have become homeless, left to be supported by the BUPC Committee.

These atrocious incidents occurred in Gokul Nagar, Sonachura, Gadhchakrabedia, under the leadership of Nabakumar Samanta and other CPM active cadres and leaders from Garu Pada, Gokul Nagar, some of whom came from Kejuri.

Reportedly, there were also blasts in some houses, including in the house of one Kokhon Sheet, who was just released, after months long judicial custody.

Nandigram continues to be one of the worst blot on the face of Indian democracy. These atrocities continue to happen and recur in Nandigram with the active involvement of the local CPI(M) cadres and leaders and tacit approval and blessings of the party leadership at various levels. With most of the victims for earlier incidents of violence, not even having received just compensation for atrocities perpetrated against them, and in fact false cases foisted against the victims of violence, as against the perpetrators, these fresh blows in their already scarred lives is nothing short of a death blow to the constitutionally guaranteed rights of the valiant residents of Nandigram.

Condemning the continuing violence in Nandigram in the strongest possible terms, we immediately demand the following:

1. All the accused must be immediately identified, charged and arrested for gang rape, grievous hurt, intimidation, assault, illegal confinement and wrongful detention and other relevant penal provisions.

2. The National Human Rights Commission must take immediate cognizance of the violations in Nandigram and recommend stringent penal action against all those involved, including instituting an inquiry into the involvement of the CPI(M) leadership and cadres in the planning/abetment/execution of the crimes committed.

3. The National Commission for Women must immediately constitute a fact-finding delegation that must visit Nandigram and submit its Report to the NHRC and also direct immediate payment of compensation to all the women raped and all others injured.

4. Free legal, medical, psycho-social and other aid and support must be provided to the women and all victims of state and party violence in Nandigram.

5. Compensation to all the affected and attacked, with houses destroyed and rapes/molestation faced, must be paid immediately as per the High Court orders.

Debjeet Shrikant and Medha Patkar

National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM)
NAPM, West Bengal.

Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee, Nandigram
(B.U.P.C. Nandigram)

Purba Midnapur, West Bengal

World Malaria Day
25 April 2008

Greater resources and stronger political commitment critical in tackling Malaria: WHO

[To read this posting in Hindi language, click here]

Malaria, a disease without borders, is preventable and treatable however it needs a bolder commitment from donors and member states if it is to be brought under control.

Malaria remains a major health problem in the South-East Asia region with 83% of its population at risks. There are an estimated 20 million cases and 100,000 deaths each year from malaria in the region.

"Today we have powerful new tools and effective models of control, which is critical in our approach in tackling this disease. But financial resources need to be mobilised and political commitment to addressing this disease needs to be solidified. A lackadaisical attitude to this health issue will not lessen the current disease burden," said Dr Samlee Plianbangchang, WHO Regional Director for South East Asia marking the first World Malaria Day.

Populations particularly susceptible to malaria include those who live in urban slums, the poor, ethnic groups, mobile populations, young adults and border communities. In South-East Asia, where some of the most devastating resurgences of malaria have occurred, the disease continues to pose a serious threat to public health. Much of the malaria in this Region is transmitted by forest-dwelling vectors, making vector control extremely difficult and also leaving large infected populations beyond the reach of basic health infrastructure.

Malaria is endemic in all the countries in the South-East Asia Region except the Maldives, and the situation is becoming increasingly difficult to control. This region also harbours two main malaria parasites, the deadly Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax, which is notorious for causing relapsing episodes. In addition to damage to health and well being, malaria adversely affects economic development particularly the livelihood of the poor. "A community with malaria is an impoverished community," stressed Dr Plianbangchang.

Parasite strains resistant to chloroquine, (cheapest and most common anti-malaria drug), have spread throughout this region. Multidrug-resistant strains are present in several countries and the resistance level is growing, posing a threat to all means of effective case management. Intensified efforts by Member countries, international agencies, partners and donor agencies are urgently required.

[To read this posting in Hindi language, click here]

Social Audit of NREGS in Miyaganj Block, Unnao (UP)
20-28 May

To read this posting in Hindi language, please click here


After a year and a half of struggle activists of Asha Parivar and residents of Miyaganj Block of Unnao District Yeshwant Rao and Virendra Singh have been successful in obtaining documents related to implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in their Block.

The application asking for information (like Muster Rolls and Measurement Books, etc.) under the Right to Information Act, 2005, was filed on 4th December, 2006 by Yeshwant Rao at his Block office. He received a reply in June 2007 asking him to submit Rs. 1,58,400 (at an arbitrarily fixed rate of Rs. 2,400 per village panchayat for 66 panchayats in the Miyaganj Block).

This followed a long battle in the State Information Commission of UP where after more than ten hearings ultimately an order was passed directing the Block officials to provide information free of cost.

The activists finally started getting the documents on 6th April, 2008. This is the most detailed information that Asha Parivar has got in its attempts to conduct social audits so far in this area (earlier social audits of NREGS have been conducted in Bharawan, Sandila and Behender Blocks of neighbouring Hardoi District).

Volunteers are invited to be part of the Social Audit of NREGS in Miyaganj Block of Unnao District from 20th to 28th May, 2008.

We will assemble at the Miyaganj Block office on the morning of 20th May for a two day training. Eleven teams will then visit the 66 village panchayats over the next six days with each team covering one panchayat in a day. Finally, on 28th May there will be a public hearing on the social audit reports.

To reach Miyaganj:-

(1) Catch a three wheeler (popularly known as 'Vikram') from outside the railway station going to Rajajipuram and get down at Dhania Mari Pul within Lucknow . From there take a bus for Bangarmau (in Hardoi) and get down at Miyaganj. Bus will drop you outside the Block office.

(2) Catch a bus from Unnao to Sandila and get down at Miyaganj.

If you would like to be part of the social audit process please get in touch with any of the following:

Yeshwant Rao, 9935451876
Virendra Singh, 9935788420
Arundhati Dhuru, 9415022772, email: arundhatidhuru@...
Sandeep, email: ashaashram@...

We also solicit financial donations for conducting the social audit in Miyaganj. Donations may be sent in the name of 'Asha' to Vallabhacharya Pandey, Village Bhandaha Kalan, Post Kaithi, Varanasi-221116, Ph: (0542) 2618201, 2618301, 2618401, Mobile : 9415256848, ashakashi@...

Asha Parivar, Unnao
&
National Alliance of People's Movements, UP


To read this posting in Hindi language, please click here

Email: citizennews@...

Call to join dharna against displacement

To read this posting in Hindi language, click here
...................................................................

Join hands to raise our collective voice against displacement & undemocratic, unjust, anti-people & pro-corporate The Land Acquisition (Amendment) Act, 2007 and The Resettlement and Rehabilitation Bill, 2007

Join Dharna at Jantar Mantar, Delhi
28 - 30 April 2008

Today, as the State continues with the mad frenzy in the name of 'development' and 'economic growth', rural and urban poor face displacement and dispossession at an unprecedented scale.

Not a day passes by when newspapers or channels in India does not have a story on yet another land acquisition, another resistance against corporate land grab or police atrocities on peaceful demonstrators. The government seems to have abdicated all responsibilities, even the pretence, of a 'Welfare State'.

It is now nothing more than a puppet of industrialists and capitalists, snatching all natural resources away from the people. On the other hand, for the multitudes-Dalits, Adivasis, agricultural workers, farmers, fish workers, artisans, forest dwellers- who have been facing the harsh reality of displacement and complete dispossession for years, there doesn't seem to be even the hope of rehabilitation now.

But be it in Nandigram or Jagatsinghpur, be it against uprooting people in the name of SEZs, mining or big dams or against the 'illegalisation' of urban poor, our country reverberates with voices of protest and struggle like never before. People are resisting the snatching away of the means of their lives and livelihood. They are resisting the theft and transfer of natural and common property resources into private hands for private profit. They are resisting the gross undermining of democracy and social justice that goes on in the name of development. It is in the midst of all this that the Central Government has brought forth two Bills-The Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill, 2007 and the Resettlement and Rehabilitation Bill, 2007. Introduced purportedly to strike a balance between the need for land for development and other purposes and protecting the interests of the persons whose lands are statutorily acquired, both the Bills will have far reaching impact if enacted. In effect, these Bills sanction displacement and loot of more and more land from the people for the profit of corporations and private investors.

The Land Acquisition Bill allows land to be forcefully acquired in favour of private companies and investors, thus including private purpose in the definition of 'public purpose'. It is more regressive and anti-people than even the original Colonial Act! While the government talks of protecting the rights of those whose lands are acquired, it is mere lip service. The R&R Bill doesn't even guarantee basics like land for land and alternative livelihood-based rehabilitation. The issue of urban displacement has been completely side-stepped yet again Today the demand of people's struggle across the country is one - a decentralised development planning process which ensures 'development' that is truly people centric and bases itself firmly on the principles of democracy, social justice and equity. Since concerns regarding development planning, land acquisition and resettlement and rehabilitation are intrinsically linked with one another and cannot be addressed in isolation, people's movements and organisations have, for several years now, been demanding the enactment of a Comprehensive Legislation on Development Planning,

No enforced displacement, and Just rehabilitation. In fact a draft of the same has also been prepared based on 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments which, in the true spirit of democracy, vest gram sabhas, municipalities with the right to formulate district and metropolitan level development plans. Ignoring these demands, the Government is keen on pushing these two Bills that, instead of ensuring minimum and no enforced displacement, endorse displacement.

There is no doubt that these anti-people legislations have been brought forth under the influence and for the benefit of big corporations and private industrial and capitalists interests. It is imperative that we, the people's movements and organisations, challenge and oppose this move. It is important that we, the rural and urban poor, those struggling for just rehabilitation and those who oppose forced displacement and destruction carried on in the name of 'development', join hands and raise our collective voices. We must question our elected representatives and bring them to understand and voice our positions on these issues. We must challenge the Central government and compel them to heed.

We call on you to join us for a massive dharna at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi from 28-30 April 2008.

We request friends and comrades from across the country struggling on diverse issues to reach Delhi on these dates to discuss and voice their questions, issues and concerns at the national level. It is critical at this juncture that we come together and raise our collective voices against displacement and for a just development planning.

Please do let us know of you participation and details regarding arrival and departure in order to help us plan better.

We sincerely hope you will join us in this very important struggle!

In Solidarity,

Ashok Chaudhary, Roma (National Forum of Forest People and Forest Workers)
Gautam Bandhopadhyay (Nadi Ghati Morcha) Shaktiman Ghosh (National Hawkers Federation)
Ulka Mahajan (SEZ Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti)
Medha Patkar (Narmada Bachao Andolan & National Alliance of People's Movements)
Gabriele D (Pennurumai Iyyakam & National Alliance of People's Movements)
Mukta Srivastava , Simpreet Singh (Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan)
Rajendra Ravi (National Alliance of People's Movements)
Sr. Celia (National Alliance of People's Movements)
Sandhya Devi (Kalahandi Mahila Samiti, Orissa)
Bhupendra Rawat (Jan Sangharsh Vahini)
Suniti S R (Vishthapan Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti)
Geetha D (Nirman Mazdoor Panchayat Sangam)
Subhash Bhatnagar (NCCUSW)
Sandeep Pandey (Asha Parivar and National Alliance of People's Movements)

Bribe taken from patient in Balrampur Hospital for issuing medical certificate
Dr Sandeep Pandey, National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM)/ Asha Parivar

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It is a usual practice in government hospitals to issue medical certificates indicating extent of injuries required to file FIR at police stations in exchange for bribes. In fact for a higher bribe injuries can be shown to be serious so that stronger charges can be brought about against the opponent.

On the other hand if one doesn't pay a bribe the extent of injury will be shown less because of which proper FIR may not be registered.

On 25th April, 2008 Ram Naresh, s/o Jagannath resident of Village Amrit Kheda, P।S. Mall, Tehsil Malihabad, Dist. Lucknow was admitted to Balrampur Hospital in Lucknow in the evening after suffering injuries in an attack by another villager.

He was asked to deposit Rs. 300 immediately. When he explained the incident he was asked to pay another Rs. 500 in order to issue him an authentic medical report of injuries. He paid Rs. 100 for stitches made on injuries and Rs. 20 later for receiving medicines for his treatment whereas the treatment is supposed to be free for poor patients in government hositals. This is just one incident but every poor person coming to receive medical treatment in government hospitals is charged illegal money by hospital staff.

A complaint has been filed by Ram Naresh with the hospital authorities for the illegal money that was taken from him. After the complaint was filed a ward boy approached him and told him to take his money back from one Chaurasia in Emergency Ward. The money has not been returned so far.

Ram Naresh is admitted in Ward No. 21 on Bed No. 6 of Balrampur Hospital presently. He may be reached through Chunni Lal, 9839422521 or Manish, 9839911648, volunteer of Asha Swasthya Sewa of Asha Parivar who are helping him with his treatment.

Dr Sandeep Pandey
Ph: 0522 2347365, 9415022772
Email: ashaashram@...


(Note from the DailySouthAsian team: The author is the national convener of National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM), recepient of Ramon Magsaysay Award (2002) for emergent leadership and a noted social activist heading Asha Parivar)

To read this posting in Hindi language, click here

After 1.5 years, RTI provided NREGS documents to Unnao residents

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After ten hearings at the Uttar Pradesh (UP) State Information Commission and 1.5 years from first filing the Right to Information (RTI) application to seek documents related to National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in Miyaganj block of Unnao district in UP, the people of Miyaganj are finally relieved to get those documents pertinent to the NREGS work done in their block.

The RTI application asking for information (like muster rolls and measurement books) under the RTI Act, 2005, was filed on 4 December 2006 by Miyaganj block resident Yeshwant Rao at the local Block office. He received a reply after more than six months (June 2007) asking him to submit Rs. 1,58,400 (at an arbitrarily fixed rate of Rs. 2,400 per village panchayat for 66 panchayats of the Miyaganj Block).

This followed a long battle in the State Information Commission of UP where after more than ten hearings ultimately an order was passed directing the Block officials to provide information free of cost. The people of Miyaganj finally started getting the documents on 6 April 2008.

After a year and a half of struggle residents of Miyaganj Block of Unnao led by Asha Parivar local activists Yeshwant Rao and Virendra Singh, have been successful in obtaining documents related to implementation of NREGS in their Block.

Now the people of Miyaganj block are going a step further. During 20-28 May 2008, they will be conducting a social audit based on the information provided by the block authorities on NREGS implementation. The people will go to each one of the 66 village panchayats, document and verify the NREGS records themselves. Earlier similar social audits of NREGS have been conducted in Bharawan, Sandila and Behender Blocks of neighbouring district of Hardoi.

Social Audit is a process where in an open meeting of the village physical verification of the records is done with the help of officials, people's representatives and the people. In fact, the citizens of the Gram Sabha are supposed to perform this audit. In addition to the verification of financial details it is also ensured that other provisions of the NREGA are being followed. It is an opportunity for the people to evaluate the entire scheme and also determine the quality of development works in their village. In a new democratic culture building up in the country since the Right to Information Act has been implemented, it is a chance for citizens to intervene and check the rampant prevalent corruption and irregularities in the system.

Also in February 2006, the Rural Development Department of the Andhra Pradesh Government had conducted the social audit of the Andhra Pradesh Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme which was being implemented under the NREGA which had come into force from 2 Februray 2006.

Andhra Pradesh was probably the first state in the country where such a process took place and the credit for this goes entirely to the then Principal Secretary of the Rural Development Department, K. Raju. It is normally unheard of that any government department would subject its performance to public scrutiny, especially a department dealing with development works where huge siphoning off of resources has become the norm rather than exception. Fake muster rolls are one of the biggest sources of corruption in this country. "By mentioning fictitious names, names of upper caste people who never perform manual labour, names of people who have migrated to cities long time back, names of people who are too old to work or exaggerating the number of days of work for labourers who have performed work, it is a common practice to withdraw huge sums of money from the government exchequer. In addition to the abovementioned discrepancies, it might also be the case that the work being shown on paper was never actually performed. In Hardoi District of U.P., recently is was discovered that a canal was being de-silted on paper in 2004-05 by using the funds of Bharawan Block Panchayat whereas the Irrigation Department had taken a decision five years back not to release water in this canal. Over Rs. 3 lakhs were embezzled in this instance" said Dr Sandeep Pandey, Ramon Magsaysay Awardee (2002) for emergent leadership and National Convener of National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM).

"However, if the initiative of social audit remains in the hands of the government or administration, there is a danger that ultimately it'll be subverted. How many cases of corruption do we know where an enquiry was set up and because the individuals who were conducting the investigation were from the same class of people as they were investigating, the results of such exercises did not yield the desired result and the matters were covered up? We would not like to see the social audit process currently being undertaken in A.P. to degenerate to a state where the social auditors develop vested interests shared with the people responsible for implementing the APREGS. Hence it is very important that the initiative of the social audit process remains in the hands of common people. The Gram Sabha is the appropriate body to conduct this exercise and not some externally chosen professionals" cautioned Dr Sandeep Pandey.

Those interested in seeking part in this social audit exercise (20-28 May 2008) in Unnao district of UP, are welcome to contact Dr Sandeep Pandey at: ashaashram@...

Published in

News Blaze, US

Assam Times, Assam, India

RTI India

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Veteran Gandhian Nirmala Deshpande is no more
 
To read this posting in Hindi language , please click here 

---------------------------------------------

Veteran Gandhian Nirmala Deshpande passed away in New Delhi early on Thursday morning. She was 79.

Deshpande, a Rajya Sabha member, had not been keeping well since the past two-three days, and she died in her sleep early today morning, Rajshree, one of her close associates, told PTI.

"Deshpande had returned from Dhanbad on Tuesday and had some gastric problems. She was suffering from fever from last evening," she said.

Family sources said she had died while she was asleep.

Deshpande, a nominated member to the Rajya Sabha, had attended the House till last evening. She was unmarried and is survived by her sister. Her father P Y Deshpande was a Marathi writer.

A die hard Gandhian, she had received the Padma Vibhushan in 2006.

Born on October 17, 1929 in Nagpur, she had joined Vinoba Bhave's Bhoodan Movement in 1952 and undertook padyatras of forty thousand kilometres with him.

She has also written several books, prominent among them being Vinobake Sath, Kranti Ki Rah Par, Chingling, Seemant and Vinoba.

Scores of people and political leaders thronged her residence at Shahjahan Road after hearing the news of her death. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Union Minister of State Sriprakash Jaiswal were among the early visitors.

The cremation is likely to take place on Friday morning, after her sister arrives from Pune.

Source: PTI/ Rediff News 

To read this posting in Hindi language , please click here 

EXPRESSIONS

Didi is no more...

To read the related news in Hindi language  (click here ), English language  (click here )

- Amitabh Thakur, Faizabad, India

- BM Kutty, Pakistan

- Ravikumar Stephen J, India

- Ammu Abraham, Mumbai, India

----------------------------------------------------

Dear friends,

The passing away of the great Gandhian thinker and eminent social worker of our country is an occasion of great sorrow and blankness for all of us.

There can be no denial of the fact that she was one of the last few of her generations left who was deeply burning with fire not only to remain completed attached to Gandhi's thought and vision but also to make it actually happening on the ground. Unlike many of her friends and fellow people, she did not believe in Gandhi as a mere name to be remembered on a few official occasions and then forgetting him as being impractical. She believed in Gandhi to its last point and was so committed to Gandhi's thought and ideas that they started looking as her own.

In the death of Didi we find ourselves placed in deep and abject darkness.

This indeed is a sad hour in our independent history.

Amitabh Thakur

SP Intelligence

Faizabad, India

Email: amitabhth@...

 **************************************************************************************************************************** 

 Friends and comrades,

Here in Pakistan Didi commanded deep love and respect among a broad cross-section of Pakistani society.

What an outstanding human being she was! I still find it hard to say she was, because only 24 hours earlier she had called me on phone and among other things, talked about her scheduled visit to Nepal - the beauty of a Gandhian going to meet the Maoist leaders! - and also that she had just returned after attending her secretary Sarika's wedding in Bihar, where she had conveyed to Sarika best wishes on my behalf.

I had not asked Didi to do it because I didn't know about Sarika's wedding but dear loving Didi on her own stood for me. How many people of her stature would care for such small details for the sake of others, I wonder. But, that was Didi.

Long live Didi!!

B M Kutty

Secretary

Pakistan Peace Coalition

Pakistan

Email: beeyemkey@...

EXPRESSIONS: Didi is no more...

Dr Nutan Thakur

Institute for Research and Documentation in Social Sciences (IRDS)

Lucknow, India

To read the related news in Hindi language  (click here ), English language  (click here )

-----------

Dear Friends,

Nirmala Deshpande (or Didi as she was popularly and almost universally known as) was born to Shri P.Y. Deshpande and Shrimati Vimalabai Deshpande  on 17 October 1929 at Nagpur ( Maharashtra ). She was not much interested in formal education for her own monetary or personal sake and she was a born enlightened person whose only aim in life was to work for the cause of humanity.

She was later conferred an honorary doctorate degrees from three universities of India in recognition of her unique scholastic capabilities but these things never really mattered to her. Thus, it can be said that she was one of the original social workers of modern India who can easily be placed in the league of such great women as Sarojini Naidu and Aruna Asaf Ali. 

In addition to being a social worker, she was also a writer of great eminence and wide recognition whose books include her memoirs of the days she spent with Vinoba Bhave (published in four languages- Hindi, Marathi, Telugu and Gujarati), another book she wrote about the life and times of Vinoba Bhave (titled Vinoba, again in four languages Marathi, Hindi, English and Gujarati) and one on  Gandhi and his ideology named Sewagram te Sewagram in Marathi. In addition she also edited a Hindi fortnightly Nityanutan and a journal Maitri on service and spirituality.

For so many of her highly revered and widely recognized works, the governments of the day thought it only prudent to nominate her to Rajya Sabha, first in 1997 and again in 2004.

Didi was respected not only in India but all through the globe. She was one of the most prominent and leading advocates of Indo-Pak peace initiatives and can be a termed a pioneer in this direction.

She took eight journeys in various Peace delegations to Pakistan which included some made during the most troubled times between the relationship of the two countries.  Even a communist nation like China gave her respect when she visited this land as leader of the delegation of 'Association of Peoples of Asia. She was chosen as the most fit person to unveil the first statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Gandhi Ashram in Denpasar, Bali in Indonesia .

Her life-long goal remained the propagation of Gandhian thought for which she visited every nook and corner of this country as also so  many of the foreign nations. For this purpose she took the arduous job of walking more than 40,000 kms. in India during the Bhoodan Movement, along with Vinoba Bhave propagating the ideology of non-violent revolution.

For the above-mentioned purposes she remained closely associated with a very large number of diverse, dedicated and committed social and cultural organization, a few prominent ones being Indo-Pak Soldiers' Inititiative for Peace (I.P.S.I.),  Harijan Sevak Sangh (H.S.S.) and Association of Peoples of Asia (A.P.A.). The Peoples' Integration Council was more such association very dear to her heart which she had personally nurtured to mobilize all sections of the society for national integration and communal harmony and which led a Satyagraha on Indo-Tibet border, 1997 along with organising and participating in conferences, seminars and marches for the cause of Tibet and Myanmar.  Akhil Bharat Rachnatmak Samaj (A.B.R.S.) was another one of her very close groups which has thousands of dedicated social activists committed to peace and non-violence, working in all parts of India . She had her attention no less divided to the cause and issues of literary persons and she was the reason behind the foundation of Sanjhi Virasat, a forum of writers and artists to uphold India 's tradition of composite culture and pluralism.

For all these services to this nation and to humanity in general, Didi was held in the highest esteem by the power-that-be, whatever colour, ideology or disposition it belonged to. No government, either at the Center or in any state could ignore her voice and her words which were generally regarded as the voice of the million and that of the moral arch stone.

This was the kind of tremendous respect Didi commanded. She was felicitated and awarded on so many occasions by so many organizations that she had herself lost count of them, not that these awards made any more sense to her than the importance of the ordinary people being recognized. A few very prominent ones include the Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award and the Padma Vibhushan, India 's second highest citizen award. She considered herself, till her last, one among the common people who toil and struggle all their life to make a very ordinary living full of hardships.

Her only wish, like that of her ideal, the great Mahatma, was to wipe the tears of the last person in the queue. That she said, would be the only recognition of her doings.

Today that this great woman is no more among us, we realize more than ever, what she actually was and she stood for, all her life. It was a serene and peaceful death for our beloved Didi, just the way she lived her life all through.

We, from the Institute for Research and Documentation in Social Sciences (IRDS) Lucknow feel bereaved and mourn on this sad occasion.

Dr Nutan Thakur

Secretary

Institute for Research and Documentation in Social Sciences (IRDS)

Lucknow, India

Email: drnutanthakur@...

---------------------------------------------------- 

To read the related news in Hindi language  (click here ), English language  (click here ) 

To read this posting in Hindi language , please click here 

Dear Friends,

About 70 Bhopalis have been picked up from in front of the Prime Minister's House after they carried out a daring demonstration to appeal directly to him. In all likelihood, they will be released soon. But just in case, Please call and enquire about their well-being with the police station officials.

They are at:

Chanakyapuri Police Station

SHO's name is: Jagat Singh

Cell: +91 9810568624

Landline: +91 11 23011100 or 23012003

 Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmachari Sangh

Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangarsh Morcha

Bhopal Group for Information and Action

Bhopali Kids Drive Home their Demands to PM

NEW DELHI, 5 May, 2008 -- More than 40 Bhopali children-- the Generation Next of Union Carbide's victims, along with their parents addressed the media in front of the Prime Minister's House. Braving the risks of gathering in a high-security zone, the children said that the Government must be ashamed to make Bhopal victims walk and wait just to get their basic rights to health, livelihood and clean environment. "We are of the same age as Dr. Singh's grandchildren," said 11-year old Yasmin Khan, one of the youngsters who completed the arduous 800km march to Delhi. "Would he let his grandchildren drink poisoned water, or see them sitting on the hot pavement for 40 days?" At least 70 Bhopal victims, including nearly 40 children, have been detained at the Chanakyapuri Police Station.

 On 16 April, Yasmin wrote a letter to the PM with blood drawn from Bhopal victims, seeking an hour of his time. This letter was delivered to the Prime Minister along with hand-written notes from more than 500 children from across the country. It has been more than three months since the PM was first asked for an appointment, and told about the Bhopalis' intent to undertake a padayatra to New Delhi. Since then, 2800 people from 18 countries have sent faxes to the Prime Minister's office urging him to meet the Bhopalis' demands. In a meeting with the Bhopalis on 29 April -- more than a month ago -- Principal Secretary in the PMO, Mr. T.K.A. Nair said he would help them meet the PM. So far, delegations of Bhopalis and their supporters have met various ministers and MPs, the bureaucrats in all relevant departments, and the Group of Ministers (GoM) on Bhopal. The GoM, headed by Arjun Singh, said it agreed with survivors' demands for an empowered commission and legal action against Dow Chemical and Union Carbide.

 The Bhopal organizations are demanding an Empowered Commission on Bhopal to execute social, economic and medical rehabilitation, environmental clean-up and provision of clean drinking water. The groups have submitted a draft parliamentary bill for the Commission to the GoM and the PMO. According to the groups, the Commission should include representatives of survivors organizations and considering the adverse effect on the Generation Next of Bhopal victims, must function at least for 30 years.

In demanding justice, the Bhopal organizations are calling for government action to produce the authorized representative of Union Carbide as well as former Carbide Chairman, Warren Anderson who are charged with culpable homicide and other grave offences. They are demanding that the government must make Dow Chemical, 100% owner of Union Carbide, to clean up toxic contamination in and around the factory. Further, the organizations are calling for de-registration of Dursban and two other pesticides registered by payment of bribes, and revocation of the approval given to Reliance Industries to import Union Carbide's confiscable Unipol PP technology.

For more information, contact:

Nityanand Jayaraman -- 9717516003

Rachna Dhingra – 9717516005

Website: www.bhopal.net

In Solidarity,

Delhi Forum

F-10/12, Malviya Nagar

New Delhi - 110017 INDIA

Phones: +91-11-26680883/26680914

Emails: dforum@... / delhiforum@...

World Asthma Day (6 May)
Asthma control is appalling in most countries 

[To read this posting in Hindi language, please click here]


More than 300 million people around the world have asthma, and the disease imposes a heavy burden on individuals, families, and societies.

The Global Burden of Asthma Report, indicates that asthma control often falls short and there are many barriers to asthma control around the world. Proper long-term management of asthma will permit most patients to achieve good control of their disease. Yet in many regions around the world, this goal is often not met.

Poor asthma control is also seen in the lifestyle limitations experienced by some people with asthma. For example, in some regions, up to one in four children with asthma is unable to attend school regularly because of poor asthma control. Asthma deaths are the ultimate, tragic evidence of uncontrolled asthma.

According to the Global Burden of Asthma Report, the majority of asthma deaths in some regions of the world are preventable. The theme of World Asthma Day 2008, an awareness-raising event organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), is "You Can Control Your Asthma."

This theme emphasizes that effective asthma treatments exist and, with proper diagnosis, education, and treatment, the great majority of asthma patients can achieve and maintain good control of their disease. When asthma is under control, patients can live full and active lives.

According to the GINA Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention (2007), asthma control means that a person with asthma has:

- No (or minimal) asthma symptoms - No waking at night due to asthma

- No (or minimal) need to use "reliever" medication

- The ability to do normal physical activity and exercise

- Normal (or near-normal) lung function test results

- No (or very infrequent) asthma attacks

Some people with asthma symptoms may never receive a diagnosis of asthma, and thus do not have the opportunity for good asthma treatment and control. Various factors such as poor access to medical care, under-recognition by health professionals, lack of awareness among patients, and overlap of asthma symptoms with those of other diseases contribute to under-diagnosis of asthma.

One of the major barriers to asthma control is the high cost of medicines. For example, the cost of medicines is often higher than average monthly salary of a nurse in developing countries.

Also the Asthma medications are not available in some areas with alarming levels of asthma, such as parts of the Middle East, Southern Asia, Central America, and North, West, and East Africa.

Treatment that is not consistent with evidence-based guidelines may hamper asthma control. There are wide variations in clinical management of asthma in different parts of the world, and even when cost is not a barrier under-treatment may still occur.

The under-use of inhaled gluco-corticosteroids for long-term management of asthma is a common problem. These medications diminish chronic inflammation in the lungs of asthma patients, and are a key to controlling the disease.

In many regions of the world, people with asthma may be exposed to conditions such as outdoor or indoor air pollution, cigarette smoke, or chemicals on the job that make their asthma worse. Avoiding risk factors that cause asthma symptoms is an important strategy for improving control.

Condolence on the demise of 'Didi' in Pakistan

[To read this posting in Hindi language, please click here]

Dear Friends, comrades

To honour the memory of " DIDI", Nirmala Deshpande, a condolence meeting is being held at :

Dorab Patel Auditorium

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, 107- Tipu Block,
Lahore, Pakistan

on Wednesday, 7th May, 2008,

at 5 : 15 pm.

You are requested to please attend.

Kindly inform other friends about the meeting.

Comradely

Saeda Diep
Institute for peace and Secular studies
91-G johar Town
Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Phone: 042-5219862/ 042-5219863
Mobile: 0300-844-5072
Website: www.peaceandsecularstudies.org

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INVITE

Role of local newspapers in changing social context

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A seminar is being organized on role of local/ regional newspapers in the changing social context, to mark the launch of a weekly newspaper 'Lucknow Lead'.

Keynote speakers:

- Shri Sheetla Singh, Editor, Jan Morcha, Faizabad
- Shri Pratap Somvanshi, Editor, Amar Ujala, Kanpur
- Shri Naveen Joshi, Editor, Hindustan dainik, Lucknow
- Shri Atul Chandra, Editor, The Times of India, Lucknow
- Dr Sandeep Pandey, Ramon Magsaysay awardee (2002) and noted social activist
- Shri Sharad Pradhan, Reuters

Venue: Press Club, Lucknow

Date: Sunday, 11 May 2008

Time: 3:30 pm

The first issue of Lucknow Lead will be launched too in this seminar.

You are cordially invited to attend,

Thanks

Irfan Ahmed
Vice-President: People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), UP

Fareed Abbasi
Lucknow Lead team

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Amnesty International Imphal Group

"IF WE COULD NOT DISCUSS AND EXPRESS REGARDING A DECISION OF A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT, WHAT IS THE MEANING OF DEMOCRACY?" - Sapan Kangleipal Meitei

 
Name: Sapam Kangleipal Meitei (27 years)

(Also known as Sapamcha Kangleipal)

 Father's Name: Sapam Shyamsunder Meetei

 Address:  Nongada Thongkhong, Imphal East, under the Lamlai Police Station, Manipur

 Occupation: Social Activist, President of Manipur Forward Youth Front (MAFYF)

 Date of incident: 7 May 2008

 Place of incident: Manipur Press Club, Imphal

 Perpetrators: Manipur police of Imphal police station and Manipur police of City police, Imphal along with Manipur police commandos

 Fact of the case:
----------------

 A team of Manipur Police had arrested Mr Sapamcha Kangleipal Meetei, a key human rights defender and forerunner youth leader of Manipur (India) for organising a public discussion on the Arming the Civilians and Its Possible Consequences (in Manipur) and making statements regarding the above issue reportedly demanding the resignation of the Chief Minister of Manipur in response to the failure of governance.

 The youth leader was picked up from the Manipur Press Club on 7 May 2008 on charge of sedition against Government shortly after the public discussion.

 The police team reportedly led by Mr. Munan and Mr. Khomdon, officer-in-charges of City Police and Imphal Police Station (West)  respectively and forced to switch off the live telecast of the public discussion through a local cable TV network (ISTV).

 The police team reportedly attempted to take him away forcibly at the very outset of the Discussion. Mr. Sapamcha Kangleipal aged about 27, son of Mr. Sapam Shyamsunder Meetei of the Nongada Thongkhong, Imphal East under the Lamlai Police Station, Manipur has been working at the local grassroots level as President of the Manipur Forward Youth Front (MAFYF) over the last seven years.

 MAFYF organised this public discussion on the existing issue of the Arming the Civilians on 7 May 2008 at the Manipur Press Club, Imphal. The discussion was the follow up of one incident triggered by some armed cadres of People Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), an armed opposition group in Manipur, reportedly shot dead two girls and a boy while another girl sustained injury causing her eyes blind in the evening of 24 March 2008 at a local traditional festival dance (known as Thabal Chongba) spot at Heirok, Thoubal District.

 As the result of the violence, by the non state actors the residents of the Heirok village have  been agitating for  demanding to issue  guns to them in order to defence themselves from such  future armed  assail. Later, another village, Lilong Chajing, Imphal West District also have been reportedly demanded the same for their own self guard.   Eventually the Government of India agreed and advanced the plan of the arming the civilians of Heirok and Chajing with 300 and 200 weapons respectively. The recruitment for issuing guns has been conducting since 5th May 2008 at Heirok village.

 The discussion started at around 11 am with a penal of Senior Lawyer, University Professor and Journalist amidst audience of women rights defenders, youths, civil society leaders, human rights activists, media personnel etc. Within a few minutes, while Kangleipal was giving his key note address of the event, two police personnel allegedly entered the hall where discussion was going on and forcibly switch off  the live telecast of ISTV (a local cable TV network).

 Soon after Kangleipal completed his speech, a (special) police commando team also allegedly entered the venue on the main entrance of the hall and physically one policeman with a black scarf on his face reportedly pulled him. However, taking the advantage of media and other participants' presence of the event, Kangleipal sneaked on to the dais. He informed the panellists of the situation and the lawyer who is one of the panellists even requested the police and government authority through the mike/microphone of the discussion in order not to execute undesirable action without legal basis. The event was  reportedly going on in the mid of some tensions but the speeches and statement were normally democratic and fair enough upon the government, the discussion moved on up to the formal end part.  The police commando allegedly remained waiting for the chance off the media and audience.

 As Kangleipal did not give chance to arrest him there, the police were waiting until the end of the programme to nap him without any legal procedure. The discussion was over at around 5 pm. The other participants were allegedly forced to left the venue, but women human rights defenders (Meira Paibee) who participated in the discussion realising the tense, they reportedly started to confront with the commandos as the police asked them to go away from the Press Club and leave Mr. Kangleipal alone. Eventually after hours long tussle between the women and the police in front of the media at the Manipur Press Club, the police team reportedly picked him up after issuing arrest memo and brought him to the Imphal police station at about 7.20 pm and thereby some 5/6 women reportedly got themselves into the same vehicle voluntarily despite of police forcing them not to come along.

 Before his arrest, Mr. Kangleipal reportedly told to the media, "If we could not discuss and express regarding a decision of a Democratic Government, what is the meaning of democracy".

 He was arrested by providing the reason in connection with FIR No. 129 (5) 08 IPS under section  124 A IPC and section 9 of Punjab security Act and Section 8 (b) Assam Maintenance of Public Order Act.

 Follow Up:
----------
On 7 May 2008,After hearing Many of the leading civil society groups of Manipur namely, United People Front (UPF), National Identity Protection Committee (NIPCO), All Manipur Students' Union (AMSU), Manipur Peace and Integrity Council(MAPI-Council), Manipur Forward Youth Front (MAFYF), Centre For Organisation Research and Education (CORE), All Manipur Kanba Ima Lup(AMKIL), Tammi Chingmi Apunba Ima Lup(Tammi Chingmi), All Manipur Women Social Reformation and Development Samaj(NUPI SAMAJ), Advanced Women Society Sekmai, United People Administrative Council (UPACO), Thoubal District United Women Development Organisation, Thangmeiband Apunba Ima Lup(THANIL), ANUL ( Bishnupur), Macha Leima and  Ethno Heritage Council(HERICOUN) are   strongly protesting the arrest and demanding the unconditional release of  Kangleipal immediately.

 Action requested
----------------

Please write to the Indian authorities and ask them to:

 i. Take all necessary measures to guarantee, in all circumstances, the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Sapamcha Kangleipal

 ii. Release Mr. Sapamcha Kangleipal immediately and unconditionally, as his detention is arbitrary since it only aims at sanctioning his human rights activities;

 iii. Put an end to any act of harassment, including at the judicial level, against Mr. Sapamcha Kangleipal  as well as against all  human rights defenders in India;

 iv. Comply with the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 1998, in particular Article 1, which states that "everyone has the right, individually or collectively, to promote the protection and fulfilment of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels", as well as Article 12.2, which provides that "the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually or in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration";

 v. Guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and other international human rights instruments ratified by India.

NOTE: Manipur Forward Youth Front (MAFYF), is a purely voluntary civil organisation working in the field of human rights, conflict transformation and peace building, anti drugs, social issues especially of youths. The organisation is one of the fore front citizen's groups which comprise of youths for the protection and promotion of human rights at the grass roots level. They frequently have been urging the government to talk dialogue with arm opposition groups and peace building in the state.

 
Regards

Jinine
Cordinator
Amnesty International Imphal Group

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Will Manipur government arrest those who discuss govt decisions?

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 A human rights activist was arrested in Manipur for discussing a state government's decision in a public forum.

 Sapam Kangleipal Meitei, 27 years, was discussing the impact of arming the civilians with weapons on the conditions prevalent in Manipur state. The state government had decided to give 500 gun licenses to natives of two villages in Manipur state.

 State government decided to hand over 500 gun licenses to civilians because armed cadres of People Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), an armed opposition group in Manipur, had reportedly shot-dead two girls and a boy while seriously injuring the eyes of another girl on 24 March 2008. So the civilians of these villages were demanding arms for self-defense.

 The only crime of Sapam was to have a public dialogue on the government's decision to allot gun licenses to civilians for self-defense.

 Sapam was picked up from the Manipur Press Club on 7 May 2008 on charges of sedition against Government shortly after the public discussion.

 The police team reportedly led by Mr. Munan and Mr. Khomdon, officer-in-charges of City Police and Imphal Police Station (West)  respectively and forced to switch off the live telecast of the public discussion through a local cable TV network (ISTV).

 Soon after Sapam completed his speech, a (special) police commando team also allegedly entered the venue on the main entrance of the hall and physically pulled him aside. A lawyer who was one of the panelists requested the police not to do any undesirable illegal action.

 The police waited until the end of the programme to arrest Sapam without any legal procedure.

 Before his arrest, Mr. Kangleipal reportedly told to the media "If we could not discuss and express regarding a decision of a Democratic Government, what is the meaning of democracy".

 He was arrested in connection with FIR No. 129 (5) 08 Indian Penal Code (IPC) under section  124 A IPC and section 9 of Punjab security Act and Section 8 (b) Assam Maintenance of Public Order Act.

 Is it illegal to hold discussions on the merits and demerits of the decisions of your own state government?

 The issue of arming the civilians for self defense in a violence-torn state like Manipur is of deep concern.

 "Weapons have never brought peace and security to communities. It has only aggravated the polarization by exacerbating the inequities" said Dr Sandeep Pandey, who is a Ramon Magsaysay Awardee (2002) and a noted social activist heading National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM).


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Social Audit of NREGS in Miyaganj Block, Unnao (UP)
20-28 May

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After a year and a half of struggle activists of Asha Parivar and residents of Miyaganj Block of Unnao District Yeshwant Rao and Virendra Singh have been successful in obtaining documents related to implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in their Block.

The application asking for information (like Muster Rolls and Measurement Books, etc.) under the Right to Information Act, 2005, was filed on 4th December, 2006 by Yeshwant Rao at his Block office. He received a reply in June 2007 asking him to submit Rs. 1,58,400 (at an arbitrarily fixed rate of Rs. 2,400 per village panchayat for 66 panchayats in the Miyaganj Block).

This followed a long battle in the State Information Commission of UP where after more than ten hearings ultimately an order was passed directing the Block officials to provide information free of cost.

The activists finally started getting the documents on 6th April, 2008. This is the most detailed information that Asha Parivar has got in its attempts to conduct social audits so far in this area (earlier social audits of NREGS have been conducted in Bharawan, Sandila and Behender Blocks of neighbouring Hardoi District).

Volunteers are invited to be part of the Social Audit of NREGS in Miyaganj Block of Unnao District from 20th to 28th May, 2008.

We will assemble at the Miyaganj Block office on the morning of 20th May for a two day training. Eleven teams will then visit the 66 village panchayats over the next six days with each team covering one panchayat in a day. Finally, on 28th May there will be a public hearing on the social audit reports.

To reach Miyaganj:-

(1) Catch a three wheeler (popularly known as 'Vikram') from outside the railway station going to Rajajipuram and get down at Dhania Mari Pul within Lucknow . From there take a bus for Bangarmau (in Hardoi) and get down at Miyaganj. Bus will drop you outside the Block office.

(2) Catch a bus from Unnao to Sandila and get down at Miyaganj.

If you would like to be part of the social audit process please get in touch with any of the following:

Yeshwant Rao, 9935451876
Virendra Singh, 9935788420
Arundhati Dhuru, 9415022772, email: arundhatidhuru@...
Sandeep, email: ashaashram@...

We also solicit financial donations for conducting the social audit in Miyaganj. Donations may be sent in the name of 'Asha' to Vallabhacharya Pandey, Village Bhandaha Kalan, Post Kaithi, Varanasi-221116, Ph: (0542) 2618201, 2618301, 2618401, Mobile : 9415256848, ashakashi@...

Asha Parivar, Unnao
&
National Alliance of People's Movements, UP


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Email: citizennews@...